Notes for "Fanny" Mary Frances Molineux from her granddaughter, Fantan Fraser:
Mary Frances Molyneux - born in New Orleans 9 Jan, 1849. Her father was a poor relation of the Earl of Sefton and had been educated with his sons. They emigrated to New Orleans with their older children, arriving three months before the birth of Fanny. Other members of the family were born in England (this is not correct -- Helen was born after Fanny in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA). While in New Orleans they were visited by John McLoughlin, who lived with them for a while and became very fond of Fanny when she was a small child. He moved to California and was successful in real estate. The family left New Orleans for California when Fanny was about 7, travelling by ship to Cristobal and crossing the isthmus by train, the whole family, with their parrot. They traveled by ship again from Panama to California. The McLoughlins wanted to adopt Fanny, her parents refused, but allowed them to educate her at Maryville Convent in California (this is not entirely correct -- the school was Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur in Marysville, California -- Fanny graduated in 1866 per their records). One of her school friends there had been a member of the ill-fated covered wagon expedition as a very small child and had eaten her grandmother (Donner Party). Another school friend, who became a life-long friend, was the mother of Kathleen Norris, the novelist. When Fanny and her daughter Laura visited California about 1928 or 1929, Kathleen Norris entertained them royally.
Her son John I. M. English wrote [The World and I]: "Mother (Mary Frances "Fannie" Molineux) when still a girl, was sent to the Marysville Convent for her schooling. She proved a bright student and remained there except for vacation period until she graduated in 1866 (see picture). Her early memories centered around the outstanding events in New Orleans, but particularly about her school days at the Convent. She was a classmate of Kathleen Norris's (a famous romance author) mother and was fond of telling how she and her classmate competed for the annual prize for English composition, sometimes the prize going to her classmate and sometimes to her. Mother was unusually well read in literature and was especially fond of poetry and music.
Fannie's father had moved his wife and daughters Emily & Mary Frances (Fannie) from New Orleans to Grass Valley, California where he operated a hardware store to service the busy mining town. Grass Valley's claim to fame, aside from having produced more than $80,000,000 in gold (5,800,000 oz. of gold is estimated) , is it once was the home of Lola Montez, an exotic dancer in the Latin fashion. (Her home is still there and open for viewing). Miss Montez, born Eliza Gilbert (daughter of a British Army Officer) in Ireland, attained worldwide fame but not fortune as a dancer. As a young girl, Fannie often wandered into her garden and thus became very friendly with Lola Montez. She'd lived briefly in India and had been educated in England. She became then internationally infamous as an adventuress and "Spanish dancer" associated with King Louis I of Bavaria. Fannie's mother discovered this news and forbade her daughter to visit their notorious courtesan neighbour again. Fannie only learned of her neighbour's reputation much later. Grass Valley received its name from a group of emigrants who arrived there in 1849 after a tortuous trip across the country. The journey had taken its toll on the horses and other live stock. The abundant growth of grass and available water allowed the cattle and horses the luxury of self-indulgence. Grass Valley is at the north end of highway 49 where it intersects highway 20.
Soon after her graduation from the Convent, Mother first met Dad. He was nine years her senior, had prospered in California, and was then well-to-do. Attracted to her from their first meeting, he pressed his attention, and when a short time later he proposed marriage, she was ready with her answer, but first rushed to discuss with him her intention to embrace the Catholic faith on which her mind had become firmly set. She had chosen not to act presently to avoid family dissension while living under the paternal roof. Her parents, as well as her husband-to-be, were members of the Anglican Episcopal Church. Dad, however, had no deep religious convictions and while not preparing himself to change his faith, made no objections to her acting according to her conscience. So it was arranged. They were married on 26 May 1868 in Aurora, Nevada (near Virginia City) by a priest who first had received Mother into the Church.
The newly-weds established their home in San Francisco. There in the following nine years, four children, three daughters and at last a long wished for son were born. The son Marshall Martin Junior brought joy to the home when joy was needed. Dad was worried. The economic climate had turned cold. In 1873 a financial panic struck the country with the suddenness of a hurricane. Banks closed their doors, prices fell as trade and industry languished from the lack of ready cash and the restriction of credit. ... The Nation became entangled in the vicious cycle of a deep depression. California was hard hit. ... Dad caught and carried along in the rip tide of diversity, uneasy but unafraid, looked about for opportunities to restore his shrinking fortune and income as both neared exhaustion. A decision reached after two years of watchful wanting, in partnership with his cousin Sam Martin, son of his original benefactor, he ventured again to a sparsely settled far away place in British Columbia to engage in a promising industry, the canning of salmon for the British market. .. After making arrangements with the Coleman's of mustard fame who had trade associations in England to finance the cost of the canned product and needed supplies pending the sale and arrival in England by sailing ship around The Horn, Dad and his cousin Sam Martin, with limited capital, proceeded by sea to New Westminster, and established a cannery on the Fraser at Brownsville, a small settlement opposite the city. There for a short time the family lived and in 1877 a second son William Barclay arrived, the first white child to be born in the settlement. The family had relocated across the river to reside in a larger substantial home in New Westminster by 1879 when I [John 1. M. English] was born... "
Children of Marshall English and "Fanny" Molineux are:
We have a letter written by "Maggie" (Molineux) Bannister to her sister, Fanny (Molineux) English, upon the death of Fanny's daughter, Minnie (at age 22 from, most likely, complications of a tubal pregnancy):
" Los Angeles
July 6, 1893
My Darling Sister,
We have been looking so anxiously for a letter from you as we have not had a line from any of your family since we received the fatal dispatch and we are just worried to death thinking some of you are sick. For if you did write, the letter has been miscarried, so answer dear Sister - as soon as you receive this, if only a few lines. I wrote to you as soon as we received the terrible news of our dear one’s death and asked you to write and tell us all the particulars as soon as you felt able. We did receive the papers last week with the account of the death and funeral for darling Minnie, we cannot realize that she is gone and we can never see her again in this world. Aggie too feels very anxious, she has been over several times to find out if we had heard from you. I suppose you received her letter as she said she had written, also Ed, Clara and Charlie. Mrs. McLaughlin is expected down next week with little Genevieve, she has been with them nearly 8 months and Aggie is v. anxious to see her. Poor dear little Robin I suppose he is still with you, dear Sister, and I know it will be hard to give him up. What a pity it is he does not look more like our darling or do you think he is growing more like her. Dear little Charlie is well and talks so well. It is really surprising to hear how plain he pronounces everything for we all thought him so backward. He never seems to forget dear Marsh or Roy and is always wishing they would come again. How little we thought then, dear Sister, of the dreadful change a few short months would make. Was dear Minnie anxious all the time and did she seem to realize that she was so sick? Poor Ma is not feeling so well lately and of course feels worried at not having heard from you. We received a letter from Sister Emily last week and she said she had received a letter from you and had also written. We have been expecting her down to make us a visit this month. But everything is so dull here that I am afraid she will have to postpone her visit for a little while. How is dear Virgie and Laura, I know they will miss their darling Sister. I hope Virgie is feeling better. I hope she will be able to make us a visit this next year for I think it would do her good. Of course the fare would be quite expensive but then it need not cost her anything while she is here and she could then escape the severe winter and her household expenses would not be much while she is away.
To Marsh, home from school, I hope he arrived at home in time to see dear Minnie alive. If not, it must have been a terrible shock to him. Well now, dear Sister, write soon and God bless you all and give you strength to bear the burden cast upon you. With love and kisses to you all from Ma, John and myself, I remain,
Your loving Sister, Maggie "
Name | Gender: | Age | Birth year | Birth place | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
William Molineux | Male | 32 | 1818 | England | Tinsmith |
Mary Ann Molineux | Female | 27 | 1823 | England | - |
William Molineux | Male | 11 | 1839 | England | - |
Emily Molineux | Female | 9 | 1841 | England | - |
Ann Molineux | Female | 7 | 1843 | Louisiana | - |
Faney Molineux | Female | 2 | 1848 | Louisiana | - |
Helen Molineux | Female | 0 | 1850 | Louisiana | - |
Name | Gender | Age | Birth year | Birth place | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abram P Williams | Male | 38 | 1832 | Maine | Liquor Merchant |
Berthania Williams | Female | 36 | 1834 | Maine | No Occupation |
Marshal M English | Male | 30 | 1840 | Virginia | No Occupation |
Frances English | Female | 21 | 1849 | Louisiana | No Occupation |
Anna V English | Female | 1 | 1869 | California | - |
Samuel C Rasserte | Male | 14 | 1856 | California | Attending School |
Eleanor Lavoix | Female | 27 | 1843 | Canada | No Occupation |
Thomas Mooney | Male | 50 | 1820 | Ireland | Bank President |
Emily Mooney | Female | 32 | 1838 | Ireland | No Occupation |
Mary J Cohen | Female | 30 | 1840 | New York | No Occupation |
Viola Z Cohen | Female | 13 | 1857 | New York | Attending School |
Ellman G Hall | Male | 34 | 1836 | Maryland | Rt Dry Goods Merchant |
Kate Hall | Female | 21 | 1849 | Vermont | No Occupation |
John Banning | Male | 35 | 1835 | Michigan | Stock Speculator |
Frances Banning | Female | 30 | 1840 | Ohio | No Occupation |
Kate Banning | Female | 1 | 1869 | California | - |
Margaret Balter | Female | 28 | 1842 | Ireland | Domestic Servant |
Lee Pauz | Male | 19 | 1851 | China | Domestic Servant |
Leen Ded | Male | 16 | 1854 | China | Domestic Servant |
- Gow | Male | 20 | 1850 | China | Domestic Servant |
Name | Sex | Age | Birth year | Birth place | Religion | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marshall English | Male | 41 | 1840 | United States | Ch of Eng | Canning Company |
Mary F English | Female | 32 | 1849 | United States | Catholic | - |
Anna V English | Female | 12 | 1869 | United States | Catholic | - |
Mary G English | Female | 10 | 1871 | United States | Catholic | - |
Laura M English | Female | 7 | 1874 | United States | Catholic | - |
Marshall M English | Male | 5 | 1876 | United States | Catholic | - |
Barely English | Male | 3 | 1878 | British Columbia | Catholic | - |
John English | Male | 1 | 1880 | British Columbia | Catholic | - |
Jessie Irving | Female | 18 | 1863 | Ontario | Presbyterian | - |
Ah Tory | Male | 25 | 1856 | China | - | Cook |
Name | Sex | Relationship | Age | Birth year | Birth place | Father's birth place | Mother's birth place | Religion | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marshal English | Male | Head | 52 | 1840 | Virginia | Maryland | Maryland | Church of England | Salmon Canner Employing 112 |
Mary F English | Female | Wife | 41 | 1849 | Louisiana | England | England | Roman Catholic | - |
Laura English | Female | Daughter | 17 | 1874 | California | Virginia | Louisiana | Roman Catholic | - |
Marshal M English | Male | Son | 15 | 1876 | California | Virginia | Louisiana | Roman Catholic | - |
W Barkley English | Male | Son | 13 | 1878 | British Columbia | Virginia | Louisiana | Roman Catholic | - |
John English | Male | Son | 11 | 1880 | British Columbia | Virginia | Louisiana | Roman Catholic | - |
Fanny English | Female | Daughter | 9 | 1882 | British Columbia | Virginia | Louisiana | Roman Catholic | - |
Roy English | Male | Son | 5 | 1886 | British Columbia | Virginia | Louisiana | Roman Catholic | - |
Name | Relationship | Sex | Marital Status | Age | Birth date | Birth place | Immigration year | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mary F English | Head | Female | W | 53 | 20 Jan 1848 | United States | 1879 | - |
Laura Clinton | Daughter | Female | W | 27 | 21 Jun 1873 | United States | 1879 | - |
Marshall English | Son | Male | Unm | 25 | 23 Nov 1875 | United States | 1879 | Manager Fish Company |
William S English | Son | Male | Unm | 23 | 23 Nov 1877 | British Columbia | - | Boat Keeper |
Roy English | Son | Male | Unm | 15 | 11 Dec 1885 | British Columbia | - | - |
Name | Relationship | Sex | Marital Status | Age | Birth infor | Birth place | Occupation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mary F English | Head | Female | Widow | 62 | Jan 1849 | United States | None |
William B English | Son | Male | Single | 33 | Nov 1877 | British Columbia, Canada | Real Estate Agent |
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